Scalable generation of functional 3D adipose tissue

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Dominik Egger
• Subject Area: Biomaterials
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 576188383

Adipose tissue is a highly multifunctional organ involved in energy storage, endocrine regulation, and immune modulation. In translational research, there is a growing demand for human functional adipose tissue models for tissue engineering applications, as modular building blocks for bioprinting, and as physiologically relevant test systems for preclinical drug discovery and screening. These applications require large quantities of adipose tissue with in vivo-like functionality, defined composition, and scalable production processes. The aim of this project is to establish an automated and scalable method for generating modular, pre-vascularized, and functional adipose tissue building blocks (ATBBs) under xeno-free and physiologically relevant conditions. To this end, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and endothelial cells (HUVECs) will be co-encapsulated in core-shell capsules (CSCs) composed entirely of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA). The CSCs will be produced using a millifluidic two-phase encapsulation system with high throughput and process control. The unique feature of this system lies in the formation of the shell via partial photopolymerization, which eliminates manual steps, improves reproducibility, and enables continuous production. Within the CSCs, MSCs will differentiate into functional adipocytes, while co-cultured HUVECs support vascular network formation under physioxic culture conditions. Following differentiation, the CSCs will be further seeded with MSCs and HUVECs on their surface and assembled into larger tissue constructs. In a proof-of-concept setting, these ATBBs will be fused in a simple culture format to promote vascular integration and tissue maturation. The functional performance of the resulting adipose tissue will be assessed by measuring insulin sensitivity, glucose uptake, and fatty acid uptake, benchmarked against native adipose tissue. The proposed system supports both scale-up for tissue engineering applications and scale-out for patient-specific, high-throughput drug testing, offering a modular and physiologically relevant platform for regenerative medicine and pharmacological screening.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Major Instrumentation: Rotating Wall Vessel Bioreactor
• Instrumentation Group: 3520 Bakterien-Zuchtgeräte, Fermenter
• Co-Investigators: Professor Dr.-Ing. Aldo Boccaccini; Privatdozentin Dr. Maike Keck; Privatdozentin Dr. Antonina Lavrentieva